


Soulmates

by Purple_ducky00



Series: AU-gust prompts [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Asexual Character, M/M, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:55:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25689181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purple_ducky00/pseuds/Purple_ducky00
Summary: What are soulmates? Soulmates are two (or more) people who join to make a whole.  Sam Wilson knows he has one, but he’s unsure if his soulmate is going to want to meet him. Written across his tricep are the words So, you’re Steve’s right hand man? Sam isn’t quite sure, but he senses suspicion in these words.They popped up when he turned fifteen. The only Steve he knew was the school bully, and he really hoped he didn’t meet his soulmate in high school. After graduating high school and college, he joined the Air Force.It’s funny how many Steves you meet in a lifetime. Steve his professor, Steve the nudist who staged protests on the quad, Steve his CO for three years, but the Steve he never expected to meet was Steve the Avenger.Imagine his surprise when he found his soulmate...
Relationships: Tony Stark/Sam Wilson
Series: AU-gust prompts [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859422
Comments: 4
Kudos: 112





	Soulmates

What are soulmates? Soulmates are two (or more) people who join to make a whole. Sam Wilson knows he has one, but he’s unsure if his soulmate is going to want to meet him. Written across his tricep are the words _So, you’re Steve’s right hand man?_ Sam isn’t quite sure, but he senses suspicion in these words.

They popped up when he turned fifteen. The only Steve he knew was the school bully, and he _really_ hoped he didn’t meet his soulmate in high school. After graduating high school and college, he joined the Air Force. The first and only person to whom he showed his soulmate words was Riley, his wingman in battle. He understood Sam asexuality more than anyone else Sam knew. When Sam lamented that even if he found his soulmate, they might not want him because he disliked sex, Riley told him that his soulmate would accept him; that’s what soulmates are for. If they didn’t, Riley surmised, they would only be hurting themselves and also not worth Sam’s time. Sam appreciates Riley’s aggressive love for him, but he still wonders how it would feel to have your soulmate reject you. He knows that plenty of people never find their soulmate, and some of them don’t even look for them, but he wants to find his.

It’s funny how many Steves you meet in a lifetime. Steve his professor, Steve the nudist who staged protests on the quad, Steve his CO for three years, but the Steve he never expected to meet was Steve the Avenger.

Sam met Steve Rogers by chance when the super soldier trolled him while running around the reflection pool. He must have made a good impression because Cap came to visit him at the VA and then came to him for help to take down HYDRA. When Steve found out that the guy that he was fighting was his old World War II buddy, Sam didn’t even want to think about if it had been him and Riley. Naturally, he stepped up and helped in whatever way he could. Punching Nazis was actually a stress reliever.

Now Steve is bringing him in to meet the team, which consists now of Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Thor, Bruce Banner, and Tony Stark. When Steve calls ahead, Tony tells him that Sam is always welcome at the Tower and there is a floor with his name on it. It’s been a while since Sam has had a vacation; thus, he agrees to stay for a week or two. He meets everyone but Thor, who is off-world, and Tony within the first couple of days. He even meets Colonel Rhodes, and he’ll admit, he freaked out a little. Rhodes has been his hero for a while now. Everyone is nice enough, and he quickly falls into a comfortable camaraderie with the Tower occupants.

One morning Sam is taking care of his breakfast dishes when who should walk in but a well-dressed Tony Stark. “Good morning everyone!” He greets the kitchen.

“Board meeting?” Clint asks.

Tony scoffs. “I can wear suits for other reasons than board meetings.”

“But?” Romanoff smirks.   
  
  


“Yeah, yeah, Pep’s making me go.” Tony concedes. He spins unexpectedly and sees Sam. “So, you’re Steve’s right-hand man?”

Sam can feel the words on his arm tingle, and he stares dumbly at Tony Stark. _Playboy, sex god, Tony Stark._ He thinks. _Oh shit. This isn’t going to end well for me, is it?_ “No, no, I can’t deal with this right now,” He says and practically runs out of the kitchen.

+++++++

“No, no I can’t deal with this right now.” Wilson says, and Tony’s heart drops as he feels the words wrapped around his ankle tickle his skin.

When the words had appeared sometime in his fifteenth year alive, he had been lying across the couch with his feet on Rhodey’s chest. Seventeen-year-old Rhodey claims he saw the words being scrawled around his ankle. Tony excitedly asked him what the words said, but he lost his enthusiasm for soulmates once Rhodey said the words “No, no I can’t deal with this right now” in a very regretful tone.

When Rhodey saw Tony close off, he tries to reassure him. “Hey Tones, you don’t know what’s happening here. What if they have like fifty dogs that they have to take care of at that time? What if they say it first because you’re about to rant to them, and they have to leave in like five minutes? It doesn’t mean it’s bad. It could just be a time thing.”

“Yea, sure whatever. It doesn’t matter. Soulmates are stupid anyways,” Tony mutters, but he clings to that hope that it’s a timing thing. Even when Howard finds out what his words are and laughs at him, telling him he’s so messed up and worthless that even his soulmate won’t want him. Even when he’s sitting in a cave, ashamed that he never cared enough about his company to prevent anyone from double-dealing. Even when he wakes up in the middle of the night, riddled with nightmares. Even when Pepper breaks up with him, telling him they just won’t work and that she found her soulmate. (He agrees with that one – she deserves someone much better than him).

Tony has clung to that hope for so long that it takes a lot of will-power to hide his devastation. As Wilson runs out, he shrugs and says, “Okayyyy… not sure what that was about.” He heads straight to the elevator and puts on his sunglasses even though the only thing he really wants to do is break down and cry. Howard was right, once again. Even his soulmate doesn’t want him.

He focuses on the numbers the whole drive to SI headquarters. He needs something to distract him. Tony also pays attention throughout the meeting, no matter how boring and tedious the topics. Pepper shoots him a few surprised looks but doesn’t question him. He stays after the meeting to chat with a few board members until he knows he just needs to talk with Pepper. She knows him the best other than Rhodey, and Tony just can’t be at the Tower right now.

Walking into her office, he stops when he realizes she is eating lunch with her soulmate. They both look up as he enters, and he raises his hands. “Hey sorry. I’ll just… go.”

“Tony, wait.” Pepper must have seen something in Tony’s body language because she calls after him.

He turns back to hear Gen, Pepper’s soulmate, ask, “Seriously?”

“Look, I’m sorry. I forgot what time it was. I don’t want to interrupt.”

“I was just going to say that if you wanted to stick around HQ for another twenty minutes or so, I’ll be available.” Pepper gestures to him.

“Right. Ok. I will, thanks.”

Tony wanders down to the R&D department. Wandering through and talking to the workers, he is able to get his mind off of the whole “soulmate” thing. He has a genius plan. He’ll just work in his lab until the pain goes away!

A half hour later, Tony finds his way back to Pepper’s office. Sitting across the desk from her, he says conversationally, “So, I met my soulmate today.”

“And why are you saying it like it’s a bad thing?” Pepper steeples her fingers.

“You know my words, Pep!” Tony cries. “He said the words and booked it. How is that ever a good thing?”

“Well, did he have somewhere to be?”

“No, he was washing dishes and talking with the team. He wasn’t in any hurry until after he talked to me.”

Reaching out and squeezing Tony’s hand, Pepper says, “I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

“I just want to hide away from the Tower for a while. Can I stay in here?”

“Sure, but you have to do this paperwork.” She hands him a stack.

Pepper seems surprised when Tony gladly takes it. “I’ll make sure I read every word before I sign.” He gives her a lopsided smile.

Tony works in Pepper’s office until she is ready to leave at 7. “I’m sorry, Tony, but we have to go. I’m supposed to meet Gen soon. Good luck.” She gives him a hug.

“Thanks Pep. Don’t make me cry,” Tony says wetly. “I shouldn’t cry. It’s stupid.”

“You’re allowed to cry, Tony. It doesn’t make you weak; it makes you human.”

Tony just shakes his head, wipes his eyes, puts on his shades, relaxes his body, and walks out with Pepper, seemingly unaffected. Walking her to her car, he helps her in and tells Happy. “Take her home Happy. See you later.”

As soon as he gets home, Tony goes straight to his lab. “Blackout mode except for Rhodey and Pepper. Steve can enter on Avengers emergencies only.” He tells JARVIS.

He opens up a saved project and begins working. It’s four am before he crashes on the couch to sleep until nightmares take that away from him. Tony wakes up at 7am, grabs some coffee, and keeps working. Rhodey comes down a little later with a plate of bacon and eggs.

“Hey Tones. Why is JARVIS telling me that you’ve been hiding out down here all night?”

“I was busy. I slept a little.” Tony comments absent-mindedly.

Rhodey sits down where Tony can see him. “Is this about Wilson?”

“Why…” Tony’s voice cracks. He clears his throat and starts again. “Why did you have to bring it up? Why can’t we just leave it and never deal with it?”

“Because it will fester until it kills you. Either you can talk to me, or you can call up your therapist, I don’t care. But you need to talk about it, Tones.”

“Why? Why do I need to reiterate the fact that I’m so worthless and messed up that not even my soulmate wants me?” Tony shouts. “The one person in the world who is supposed to love me unconditionally can’t even spend a few minutes with me without running away! Is that what you want me to say, Rhodey, is it?” His breathing is getting ragged, and hot tears fill his eyes.

Rhodey wraps him up in a hug. “You’re not worthless. If he doesn’t love you, that’s his problem. To be honest, I was very shocked at that reaction. He seemed like a nice guy.”

“You’re allowed to like him, too.” Tony tells him miserably. “You can have friends who don’t like me.”

“If someone won’t give their soulmate the time of day, they aren’t that great in my book.” Rhodey pats Tony’s back as they are still embracing. “Listen, take the time you need in here, but don’t wear yourself out. There are people who love you, Tony, remember that. Also, eat your breakfast. I have training but I’ll be back.”

Tony sits down to eat his breakfast and waves goodbye to Rhodey. He loves his Platypus – he’s the real deal. He can count on Rhodey to never leave. He starts up his work again in much better spirits.

++++++  
Sam has not been doing good. He’s still reeling from the fact that _Tony Stark_ is his soulmate. His. Soulmate. How… what… he can’t even form a coherent thought. He feels like an ass, running away like he did. Tony probably thinks he rejected him.

_Once I get my head wrapped around it, I’ll talk to him._ Sam thinks. _Geez, I really need to wrap my head around it._

“Hey Sam, you ok?” Steve knocks on his door.

Sam jumps off his bed and walks to the door. “Yeah, yeah I’m fine. I just needed some time.”

“Why? Is everything ok with you and Tony? What happened?”

“We’re, ah, soulmates.” Sam puts his hands in his pockets.

  
Steve lights up like a gigawatt bulb. “That’s amazing!”

“Yeah, except when I found out, I ran out of the kitchen. And I don’t think the words I said were great either. _Shit_ I need to go talk to him. Hey, JARVIS, can you tell me where Tony is?” Sam looks up at the ceiling.

“I am afraid I cannot tell you where he is, but I would like to say Sir is usually in one of four spots.” JARVIS replies.

“He’s probably in his lab. Floor 53.” Steve tells him. “I’ll let you go.”

Sam races to the elevator and asks JARVIS to take him to floor 53. He requests access to the lab, and JARVIS tells him he cannot let him in. “Can you pass a message to Tony?” JARVIS says he can. “Thank you, JARVIS. Hey, Tony, I’m sorry for running out of the kitchen yesterday. I definitely did not react the right way, and I am truly sorry for that. Do you think we could talk at some point? I have some personal stuff I’d like to share, and then you can decide if you want to be with me or not. I know it could be a deal breaker.” Sam waits for JARVIS’s reply. Instead the lab doors open, and Tony is standing at a worktable, waiting for him to come in.

“What do you want to say?” He asks rather shortly.

“So, I… I’m asexual. I won’t have sex with anyone because I don’t like it. I like holding hands and cuddling and even kissing, but I don’t like sex.” Sam sees Tony open his mouth to say something, and he holds up his index finger. “Just hear me out, ok? I know I handled it terribly but imagine being afraid your soulmate will reject you because you won’t have sex with them. And then I find that my soulmate is an ex-playboy who is like a sex god. It caught me by surprise and then I just panicked. I’m sorry.” When Tony looks at him pointedly to see if he has anything further to say, Sam gestures to him. “Your turn.”

“So, my words are ‘no, no, I can’t deal with this right now.’” Tony wiggles his fingers as quotes. “My whole life I was afraid that my soulmate would take one look at me and just bail, which you kind of did. But now that we’ve both explained why we reacted the way we did, can we just start over? Hi, I’m Tony, I’m your soulmate. I don’t care that you’re asexual. I mainly had so much sex with people because that was the only intimacy I knew for a long time. Well, except for Rhodey. Sorry, I’m rambling.” He stops and takes a deep breath. “Your turn.”

“Hi, Tony. I’m Sam, your soulmate. I don’t know you all that well, but I would like to. Is that acceptable to you?”

Tony nods. “Definitely acceptable. Can I ask you one question? I don’t know how insensitive it will sound. Do you have, like, set boundaries for PDA? I just don’t ever want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Well, it never hurts to ask if you can touch me. I do like to cuddle up on a couch or in bed. I love hugs. Kisses are acceptable unless you like to lick the inside of my throat. Holding hands is great. Simple touches are fine, too. As long as it’s not sexual, I’m probably ok with it. I will let you know if I’m uncomfortable.”

“Sounds good. Would you like to get dinner tonight, soulmate?”

Sam grins. “I would love to, soulmate.”


End file.
